Joey Logano: The Man, The Myth, The 3 Time Champion

^{Nov 14, 2024 | Edition #97}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Did Joey Logano deserve to be the champion? Or was his title run an example of how unjust the Playoff format is? Regardless of how you feel, this year’s championship sure had us all talking! And for that, we must celebrate our 2024 Bill France Cup winner under the brightest of lights!

Today, We’ll Uncover the Latest Stories From the NASCAR Universe:

🏆 The Making of a NASCAR Cup Champion

🤬 No Driver Is Safe From Vintage Joey

🙌 The Exhilarating Off-Track Lifestyle of Joey Logano!

💪 Logano’s Dad’s Unconventional Ways That Shaped a Legend

🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

The Kid from Connecticut Who Conquered

Joey Logano's rise to NASCAR stardom was anything but ordinary. The guy was winning races at an age where most of us could barely spell "stock car"! At 7, he won his first Eastern Grand National Championship in the Junior Stock Car Division. And by age 10, he’d raced and won in Late Models, Bandoleros, and even Legends cars.

Seeing this, his parents realized they were dealing with something special, and headed south to Georgia to nurture young Joey’s high-speed dreams. Down there, he again turned heads, including 2x Busch Series champ Randy LaJoie, who gave Logano his nickname, “Sliced Bread.”

But it was probably Mark Martin who made the most accurate prediction about Joey. He said, “I’m 100 percent positive, without a doubt, that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR.” Decades later, this assessment feels prophetic.

Logano’s big break came in 2005 when his talent caught the eye of Joe Gibbs. JGR signed Joey to a developmental contract. From this point on, the rise was rapid. With five wins in the 2007 K&N Pro East Series, Logano claimed the championship title, and the Rookie of the Year award after only 13 starts in the series. The following year, he became the youngest race-winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, three weeks after his 18th birthday. Joey also made his Cup debut in 2008, at his home track, New Hampshire, and finished 32nd.

But you don’t need to feel bad about that finish, because the same year, fate threw him a silver lining when Tony Stewart left JGR for Stewart-Haas, meaning the #20 seat was vacant for Logano. This became Logano’s full-time entry into Cup in 2009. He showed his potential that year by winning his first Cup Series race at New Hampshire, making him the youngest driver ever to win at the highest level. But four years and one win later, JGR let him go. This prompted Joey to join hands with Roger Penske in 2013.

That was the best twist in the Joey Logano story! Now, aged 34, he boasts three championships and actively leads Penske’s three-car lineup, which has clearly dominated in this Next-Gen era. So, whether you love him or hate him, there’s no denying that this guy's story is one for the ages.

Continue Reading: Jimmie Johnson Puts Joey Logano in NASCAR’s “Highest Percentile”

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

You all have been crushing it in our polls. So we’ve decided to cook up something fun—a NASCAR-Themed Crossword to test your NASCAR know-how and add some fun to the newsletter.

But here’s the deal—we only want to do it if you’re into it! So, take part in the poll below and let us know.

We think it could be a blast. But you’re the boss here!

Last Poll’s Result: Answering 'How Do You Feel About Logano Winning the 2024 Title', 47.17% of you said 'He Got Lucky…' while 42.1% people said 'He Is a Talented Driver…'. Looks like Logano is the next most polarizing driver of NASCAR.

🗝️ From the Vault

The Good, the Bad, and the Joey Logano

When Joey Logano looks in the mirror these days, he probably does not see ‘Sliced Bread’ anymore. After almost two decades in NASCAR, he’s a much calmer guy. More calculated. Maybe it's fatherhood, or the wisdom that comes with age. But you certainly wouldn’t see Joey pulling a maybe last-lap move like he did on Martin Truex Jr at Martinsville in 2018, right? Here is a video of that insane race finish.

Well, even the best slip up sometimes. And that old-school Joey Logano personality slipped out a few times this year…

His Confrontation with Ty Gibbs at Clash

Even before the season officially began, Logano ‘clashed’ with 22YO Ty Gibbs. Their feud carried over from last year after the two raced each other aggressively. But this time, Ty, a little too eager for 2024, ruffled Logano’s feathers at the Clash. On the final restart, Gibbs almost sent Logano into the wall. This prompted a fiery reaction from Joey, who confronted his younger grid mate near his hauler after the race. Thankfully, things did not turn any uglier, and the duo stayed out of each other’s hair.

Flippin' Denny Hamlin off at Nashville

These two have a lot of history to fill an entire newsletter. And this year, Denny and Joey got into it again at Nashville. Halfway through the race, the former teammates were involved in a little beating and banging on a restart. This irked Joey, who was trying to move up from a mid-20s running position. So, he let out a few profanities over the radio and drove right up to Hamlin’s window to flip him the bird. Since there’s a good chance you may have missed it, we have got you the video where the #22 driver gave the FedEx car ‘the finger’. 

Joey Logano vs. Austin Dillon at Richmond

Now, Joey is not one to stay quiet when he’s pushed to the edge. And Austin Dillon experienced that wrath first-hand after Richmond. Riding off an entire season of misery, it appeared RCR had found their Playoff contender in #3. But to mark his spot, Dillon was forced to wreck Logano on the last lap. Joey called it a “chickens**t move” in his post-race interview and blew tire smoke to express his dissatisfaction near Dillon’s pit stall. Here is the moment Joey won’t be too proud of.

It is good to see that Joey Logano's transformation from reckless to calculated hasn't diminished his competitive edge. So here's to many more thrilling years of him in NASCAR.

Continue Reading: Joey Logano Exposes Denny Hamlin’s Hypocrisy as He Defends His Hard-Fought Championship

🔎 The In-Depth View

How Logano Spends His Millions?

Joey Logano's life outside the track is the ultimate fan fantasy. Let's start with the numbers. He has earned $43 million in salary alone throughout his NASCAR career, plus a staggering $57 million from brand partnerships with heavy-hitters like Shell, Pennzoil, Coca-Cola, and Home Depot. Add his $9 million annual salary from Team Penske, and it's clear Joey's living large.

His epic pad is the perfect reflection of that success. It is a $3.6 million Cornelius, NC mansion with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms near Lake Norman. But what really gets Joey's engine revving is probably his incredible car collection. As a Ford lover's dream come true, it boasts 35-40 Blue Ovals, including a $1.2 million 2017 Ford GT sporting his lucky #22 on the VIN.

Vintage Fords also hold a special place in his heart, like his 1969 Mustang Boss 429. And he's not afraid to mix it up with a classic Chevy Bel Air or vintage Hudson pickup truck. But what's Joey's favorite ride, you ask? His old Ford Model T limo, of course! "You feel like you're going 120 when you're going 20," he says with a grin.

But beneath the glamor, Joey's got a heart of gold. Through the Joey Logano Foundation, he's donated over $5 million to support kids and young adults in crisis, inspiring others to "live a life of generosity." He's also partnered with TreeNail Development Inc. to build affordable housing in North Carolina.

Joey's business savvy extends beyond philanthropy. He's invested in Clutch Studios, a state-of-the-art production facility serving the NASCAR industry, and the Silver City Quarter Midget Club in Connecticut – a nod to his roots and a way to inspire the next gen of racers. Not bad for a guy who started with a Quarter Midget, right!? 

Continue Reading: Joey Logano Exposed NASCAR’s Miserly Approach Behind $1 Million Prize

🔎 The In-Depth View

The Untold Story of Thomas Logano

Now, if you’ve been a longtime fan of NASCAR, there’s no question that racing is a family sport. There are a lot of variables, like money, equipment, entry fees, and whatnot. Putting yourself through that kind of grind all alone can be very exhausting for a budding racer. Fortunately for Joey, his dad, Thomas, was willing to go above, below, and beyond for his son’s dreams.

Back in Connecticut, Joey’s dad wasn’t in the pits, or racing Late Models like the usual NASCAR dad. He used to run a garbage company, working every day just to keep things going. But when his son showed a wild passion for speed at only four years old, Tom put everything on the line. 

Like Joey said a few months back, “My dad…he doesn’t lead from an elevated place…he’s down in the trenches.” For Tom, that meant weekends working on Joey’s race cars, hauling him to the racetrack, and teaching him the hands-on determination that defines NASCAR’s best. That’s surely not a part-time job. So, to fully focus on Joey’s career, Tom sold his garbage business and moved the entire family to Georgia. Talk about a dedicated father. However, his drive even led him to bend the rules this one time. 

When Joey was just 10, his father saw that he was too good to keep racing kids his own age. He wanted Joey in the Legends cars circuit, but there was a catch—the minimum age limit for it was 12. So, Tom went bold, forging Joey’s age to qualify. But it wasn’t long before someone caught wind of the ruse. And it was Humpy Wheeler (former general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway) who flagged their little scheme. The gambit might have flopped that day, but the lesson remained: no shortcut ever replaced hard work.

Today, Joey embodies his father’s relentless drive: “I want my son to see me work like I saw my dad.” Indeed, they will. So here’s to you, Tom—just another blue-collar dad who turned his son's dreams into reality!

Continue Reading: When World Celebrated Joey Logano’s Proud Father Moment

📰 More Stories to Check Out

1. Ex-SHR Employee Spills Harsh Truth About Tony Stewart - Full Story

2. Injury-Scarred Dale Jr Slams NASCAR's Phoenix Obsession After Dangerous Crash - Full Story

3. Richard Petty Offers Bold Solution Amid Raging Playoffs Disdain - Full Story

4. Dale Jr’s Controversial Employee Leaves Fans Heartbroken - Full Story

5. Amid Lawsuit, Hamlin Confirms Another $70B Blow - Full Story

✨ Featured Comment

Offering his take on whether it was 'luck' or 'talent' that fueled Logano's journey to 3 titles, Super Fan - Wade Beauchamp, gave us something to think about.

Lucky Dog's Take: It's hard to argue with that!
So how about we call this discussion, and say it was a bit of both?

To share your thoughts, you can participate in our polls. And who knows? The next Lucky Dog on Track 'Featured Comment' could be yours.
You can also write back to us by clicking here.

🗞️ In Our Next Edition…

Get ready to relive the Intimidator's glory days. The Lucky Dog will take you back to 1980 when Dale Earnhardt Sr clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series title. So stay tuned to witness the rise of the legend!

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